Thanksgiving Pie
by Somos Pollo
Summary: **REPOSTED from an old pen name** When the squad gets together for Thanksgiving, there's no telling what will happen. Cranberries, math homework, slackers, and some very interesting pie...Co-written by Somos Pollo and MakatiBird
1. Plans and Preparation

Due to a change in user names, this story is being re-posted. We started this last year, and haven't updated in a while, so I don't know if you'll remember it. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Thanksgiving Pie

Co-written by Somos Pollo and MakatiBird

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Somos Pollo's A/N: Okay, be prepared for weird. This all started a few days before Thanksgiving, and MakatiBird and I were IMing back and forth, and we mentioned pie and stuffing, and all the things we love about Thanksgiving, and we happened to mention our favorite IaHB characters, and what they would do if they all got together for Thanksgiving, and the fact that there just aren't enough holiday fics out here on ff.net, and there was kind of a dare, and well, this story was born. We each wrote different sections, and put them together to make a story. I hope this makes sense. It was a blast to write. 

Disclaimer: We're not insane really. Don't own anything. If we did, the show would in no way be canceled. Well, that said, what are you waiting for? Go read! And review, of course. 

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Thanksgiving Pie

Chapter 1

Plans and Preparation

Val seemed awfully quiet at the station that day, Tyler noticed. Brooke just seemed moody. She snapped more than normal, got upset over a small mistake on Hank's paperwork, and was just plain grumpy. _I wonder what's going on with them_. He wondered. _There must be something going on at home. I'll have to talk to Val._ He grabbed a basketball and invited Val to go out to the court behind the station with him. She nodded in reply and followed him out.

"What's up?" Normally when he asked her out to the court to shoot baskets was when he had something on his mind.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing."

"What makes you think anything is wrong?" She asked, dribbling the ball and shooting.

"Well, for one, you've been extremely quiet all day and Brooke has been snapping at everything. She's not one to easily loose her cool."  


Val sighed and sat down, leaning against the cool brick wall that surrounded the basketball court. She decided that she may as well tell him what was bothering her. Maybe getting it off her chest would help. Tyler sat down beside her, concerned.

"My parents have to go out of town for a week. They leave tonight. It's an emergency with the business. There is no way they can get out of it. It could mean the future of their business."

"But today's Monday and Thursday is…"

"Thanksgiving. I know. It will be the first Thanksgiving we haven't spent together." Val said, close to tears.

Tyler gently put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. They just sat there, Val taking comfort from his warm embrace. His mind raced, trying to think up something to help her out. "Who said we have to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday? What about Wednesday? The squad, plus Caitie and Brooke can have Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday."

She looked up and met his warm gray eyes. "Really? That would be awesome."

"Yeah, we have to check with the others, but I'm sure Mom and William would let us use the house. We could have everybody make a dish, so no one person has to make everything."

"This is going to be so great. Thank you so much. I need to go tell Brooke." She smiled and they stood up. She gave Tyler a quick kiss on the cheek and then raced off to tell Brooke the good news. He stood rooted to the spot, watching her retreating back. _That was just a kiss between friends, right? She was just grateful for the whole Thanksgiving thing, right? Friends._ He tried to convince himself that while he tried to pass of the tingling sensation on his cheek as November air.

****

* * *

"Okay guys," Brooke called for attention at the end of the shift the next day. They had no school that day because of Thanksgiving, so their shift only lasted until one. Everyone was there, including Caitie. Their parents had all given permission for them to have a Thanksgiving party at Tyler's the next day. "Everybody is going to bring a few things, so Tyler doesn't have to cook everything."

"Val, for the sake of any food you might make, Tyler's with you."

There was a chorus of 'thank goodness' and 'yes' around the room.

"Hey! I'm a good cook," Val defended herself.

"Val," Tyler reminded her, placing a hand on her arm, "you burnt water."

The room erupted in laughter and Brooke began handing out assignment sheets. "Tyler and Val, you guys are in charge of the Turkey, gravy, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. Jamie and Caitie, you guys have the stuffing and a pie. Whatever kind you want, except for pumpkin. Hank, you're in charge of anything potatoes. Be creative. And I'll take care of green beans and fruit compote. That should be everything."

Tyler glanced at the clock. "Shift's over, guys." They gathered up their stuff and prepared to leave to get their part of the meal ready. Val was going over to Tyler's house, and Caitie was going to Jamie's. Brooke was going to Nick's house to work on her part of the meal, because no one would be home at the Lainer's. They all went their separate ways and agreed to meet at Tyler's the next day at noon to start their early Thanksgiving.

**__**

* * *

Later on, Tyler sat at the table, tossing raw cranberries into his mouth, one by one. He made sure to finish the tart berry before flicking the next one. Flick, catch, chew, swallow. Flick, catch, chew, swallow. That went on for a few minutes and Val walked into the kitchen. 

"Okay, I guess it's time to make the cranberry sauces." She said. Tyler continued to eat the berries. 

"Have you ever had raw cranberries?" He asked between tosses.

"No, but I love cranberry sauce, it's so sweet." She said. 

Tyler stood up and started to get everything together to make the sauce. "Go ahead and try one."

Val, meanwhile, grabbed a small handful and popped them in her mouth. 

"Be careful, though, only take one at a time, they're really tart before you cook them." He warned, his voice muffled because of the fact that his head was in the cabinet as he went on his search for the right mixing bowl. 

Val, about to bite down, couldn't make out what he said. "What?" she asked as she bit down on the five berries in her mouth. Her taste buds seemed to explode, the tart flavor enveloping her senses. She let out a muffled yelp. 

Tyler turned around to warn her, but it was too late. He had to bite his lip so hard it almost drew blood to keep from laughing at her pained expression. Her whole face involuntarily seemed to cave in. Her lips puckered and her eyebrows furrowed, eyes squeezed tightly closed. She gulped down the remains of the cranberries and Tyler rushed to get her a drink, which she gratefully accepted.

"I'm sorry Val, I tried to warn you." He said, biting back chuckles. 

She glared at him. "Are you laughing at me?" 

"No, no. Of course not. No laughter. Perfectly straight face. No laughing whatsoever." He said. Trying his best to keep a straight face. Needless to say, he failed. 

"Tyler. Luke. Connell. You so are not laughing at me. Laugh and face the wrath of Val." She said, grabbing a hand full of cranberries and pelting them at Tyler. They ran around the kitchen, pelting cranberries at each other. The ended up, somehow, rolling on the floor, tickling each other. Val ended up lying on top of Tyler on the dining room carpet. Their eyes locked, and they froze, just staring into each other's eyes. They leaned closer, and closer…

The timer on the stove beeped, signaling that the pumpkin pie was ready. They both jumped, and Val quickly climbed up from the somewhat compromising position. The moment was broken.

"We better check on the pies," Tyler said. And they both returned to the kitchen, as if nothing had almost happened between them. Well, they didn't say anything. But inside, thoughts swirled.

***

"They trust us to make stuffing and a pie?" Jamie asked Caitie that afternoon with an evil glint in his eyes. "They didn't specify what kind of pie, did they?"

"Just not pumpkin, Tyler and Val are taking care of that." Caitie clarified. She recognized the evil glint that said he was up to something. "Just what do you have in mind?"

  
"Well, they're always saying we're slackers, right?"

"Aren't we?"

"That's beside the point. We should really give them something to talk about. They said we have to bring a dish, and they told us what to bring, right?"

"Your point?"

"They never said we had to bring more than one dish…"

"We have to bring stuffing and pie. What are you getting at?"

"Stuffing and pie." He said with an eyebrow raised meaningfully.

"What? Stuffing pie?" She said with a laugh.

He raised both eyebrows and smiled.

"What? Are you serious? Are you insane?'

"Maybe… see I was thinking…"

* * *

Meanwhile, as the two rebels plotted their sinister pie, Val and Tyler were having troubles of their own.

"Tyler I really think that this is a bad idea." Val said, nervously playing with her ring. "I mean, in theory, putting the temperature at 500 degrees in the broiler to cook the turkey faster does make sense, but didn't they teach us something about the dangers of doing that in home EC?"

"Relax Val, the recipe says to cook it at 350, and when temperatures get that high, two hundred odd degrees don't matter anymore! And a broiler cooks faster then an oven. We have to get this bird done by noon you know." He slowly slid Val's perfectly dressed and stuffed turkey into the oven and shut the door. "Besides, we get to relax now. Everything else is ready." Val smiled and sat down on the counter top.

"You're right! I've set the table, and we can't make the gravy till the turkey's all done looks like Caitie's right- we're good at everything." She sighed happily. 

Tyler chuckled, "Do you have any homework to work on? Like math or something? I could help you if you want." He offered. Val's face brightened.

"Really? That would be soo great! My math teacher was really mad at us about the scores on this test we took last week, and he gave us the entire chapter review on the quadratic formula- and we have to show ALL the work." She frowned. "I swear that man is evil! It's 30 problems longhand!" Val hopped off the counter and grabbed the offending Algebra 2 book out of her duffle bag. They sat down at the dining room table to examine her assignment.

"Man, I haven't done this in a while" Tyler commented looking at a particularly disgusting looking problem involving one too many exponents. "Val, do me a favor and grab my calculator lying on my desk in my room? I gotta remember how to do this." She rose from her seat at the table and walked quickly to his room, muttering something about demon math teachers and killing trees. When she walked through his bedroom door, she was shocked by the chaos that she found inside. Clothes were strewn everywhere, along with old assignments, CD cases, and oddly enough, the picture Brooke had taken of them after they'd fallen asleep next to each other on the couch while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. She had to admit, it was a really cute picture. Her head was resting on Tyler's shoulder as they slept peacefully, and Tyler's arm was around her. "We make a cute couple." She thought happily, but then immediately banished the thought with a shake of her head. Tyler and her weren't even a couple. 

"He doesn't like you, remember?" she muttered, tossing the picture aside again.

"Val? Did you say something?" Tyler called from the dining room.

"Huh? Oh, just, umm, singing." She lied quickly. "Where did you say that calculator was again?"

"On my desk." He replied.

"And that would be where? Under the pile of clothing or the stacks of papers?"

"Come on Val, my room isn't that bad."

"Tyler I think something's alive in here." She joked, gingerly stepping over his stuff and making her way towards his desk. She immediately spotted his huge complicated looking graphing calculator lying on top of a stack of old calculus homework, and went to grab it when a bright pink post it sticking to one of his books caught her eye. "Tyler-" it read, "Please clear up this room before your friends come over, all right honey? And clear up any mess you make in the kitchen. William and I made plans tonight, so that you guys could hang out with out us bothering you. Have fun! I love you Tyler-bear! ~Mom" Val stifled a giggle. "T-Tyler bear?" she choked, falling down on his bed in a fit of giggles. "Ooooh, he's gonna pay for laughing at me." She thought, an evil grin on her face. Val furiously fought to contain her laughter before bouncing happily out of the room, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Did you find it?" he asked. "Cause I think I've done half the assignment already." She took a seat next to him.

"I had a tough time navigation around your room. You should really clear it up, you know, we don't want Mommy's little Tyler-bear tripping over something and hurting himself, now do we?" she cooed. Tyler's head snapped up in alarm.

"What did you call me?" he gasped. Val saw the panic in his eyes and shot him an innocent smile.

"Who, me? I said nothing"

"Yes you did! You called me Tyler-bear." he accused. Her innocent smile turned into a wicked grin.

"Someone's got a new nickname" she intoned in a singsong voice. 

"Val, tell anyone about this and I swear I'll-"

"But it's sooo adorable! Think about it 'Connell's in the end zone, he's at the 1054...32TOUCHDOWN TYLER-BEAR!'" she cheered, collapsing to the floor in hysterics. Tyler glared at her.

"That's not funny." He grumbled, burying his head in his hands so that she wouldn't see the small smile that crept onto his face. Val peeked over the edge of the table, concerned.

"Tyler, are you ok?" she asked gently. "I mean, I was just kidding, and I wouldn't tell anyone about "Tyler-bear" his shoulders shook from the amount of effort it took for him not to burst out laughing, which only made Val worry even more. "You're not crying are you? It was a joke, I-I thought since you laughed at me about the cranberries it would be a good idea to-" Tyler lifted his head from the table, an idiotic grin on his face. Val, realizing that she'd once again been had, whacked him over the head with her math folder, which only made him laugh harder. "Idiot." She muttered angrily, folding her arms across her chest.

"Aww, come on Val, you thought it was funny to laugh at me." Tyler said playfully. She turned away from him.

"Yeah, but that was because of the cranberry thing and, and, I thought I hurt you're feelings! You made me worry for no good reason!" she pouted.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry. Look, I'll tell you the story of 'Tyler-bear' okay? Just, don't pout anymore, it's distracting." She swiveled around in her seat and rested her chin on her hands, looking at him interestedly.

"Oooh, spill it!" she commanded, happy that she got her way. Tyler sighed.

"Well, when I was little, like um three or four or something, I had this umm, huge bear, called Mr. Bear- he was as tall as I was and he had dark brown fur- anyway, one day my mom asked me why I took the bear everywhere I went, and I went and told her that it was because we were brothers- Mister Bear and Tyler Bear, and she kinda has called me that like, ever since." He shook his head in dismay. "Mom's just don't get it" he sighed again. Val noticed that his face had turned a brilliant shade of scarlet before he buried it in his hands again. "So know that you've heard the story and think that I'm this giant dork-" 

"I don't think you're a dork." She replied honestly.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. It's fine. I am one."

"Tyler!" she said, frustrated, "I do not think any less of you just cause you have an embarrassing nickname! In fact, I think it's really cute that you're mom still remembers it. It adds to your appeal." He found the courage to pick his head up from the table.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. And don't worry. I won't tell your big, tough football friends that you have a cute side." She said seriously, giving him a playful punch in the arm. "Besides, all kids have odd nicknames, I had a couple growing up. It's not big deal though I have to admit, yours is pretty, um, original." A weird smell filled her nose, and she sniffed the air for a second. "Did you light the fireplace or something? Cause I smell-" her eyes widened and she jumped out of her chair. "Smoke!" she shrieked, bolting into the kitchen "The turkey's burning!" Tyler followed in after her, and saw a thick cloud of smoke coming from inside his oven.

"How bad is it?" he yelled, searching in the pantry for the fire extinguisher.

"Ummm, I don't know, the outside is kinda done looking, but the inside is still cold- is that bad?"

"But, that's physically impossible! How can be burn something and undercook it at the same exact time!" he cried, abandoning his search for the fire extinguisher. "Open a couple of windows." He coughed, "We're gonna set off the fire alarm." Val collapsed tearfully on the counter.

"We ruined the turkey!" she sniffled, "Now what are we going to do? Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without turkey!" Tyler examined the dark brown bird. 

"I think we can save it." He announced. She looked up,

"Really?" she said hopefully, drying her tears. He nodded

"Just remember to turn off the broiler and set the temperature at 350 this time. That 500 degree plan wasn't the most brilliant of ideas." He said, placing the bird back into the oven and setting the timer.

"Tyler Connell! It was YOUR idea to cook the turkey the way we did last time! Don't you go blaming this on me."

"Yeah, well, you're the girl, aren't you supposed to have like, womanly intuition on how your supposed to cook a turkey?" he joked. Val scowled back at him.

"What, am I any less of a woman just because I can't cook a stupid piece of poultry?"

"Yes." He answered seriously, though she could see the smile in his eyes.

"You." She sighed, hopping off the counter and leaning against him. "Are a moron."

"And you." He replied, "Can't cook." Val giggled, and pushed him aside playfully. "Let's get back to that math homework."

* * *

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MakatiBird's A/N: See, warned you, this get's odder as it goes along. Do you folks like what we have done? Chalk it up to our weird senses of humor. Pleeeease give us a review, even if it is to tell us that we need to be institutionalized!


	2. Sister's Plans and…Stuffing Pie?

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Thanksgiving Pie

Co-written by MakatiBird and Somos Pollo

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MakatiBird's A/N: Wowie! I get the top A/N! (not that anyone likes to read what I have to say anyways, but hey, I'm humoring me right now, all right?) Anywho, um, here it is, chapter 2! Oh, and thank you for you recommendations that I be institutionalized- I've been comparing the pros and cons of the many insane asylums in my area, and I'm disappointed to say that none of their padded cells seem to be soft enough, so I'll remain free for now- oh, and the food really sucked…. ~Makatibird

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Disclaimer: See Chapter one. (Makatibird: removal of this tag by anyone but the consumer is punishable by federal law…oh never mind)

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Thanksgiving Pie

Chapter 2

Sister's Plans and…Stuffing Pie???

That night, Val and Tyler picked Brooke up at Nick's and they all went out for dinner, because they were all tired of cooking. They had spent all afternoon in the kitchen and wanted to get out. As they slid into a booth at Kingsport's local burger place, they began to talk about the next day. 

"So, when are we coming over tomorrow?" Val asked. 

"Well, about that," Tyler started. "I was wondering if you guys wanted to spend the night tonight. You guys can use the guest rooms. We could just hang out, watch movies or something." 

Val and Brooke exchanged a silent sister conversation. One of those sister moments where they had a whole conversation with just their eyes that lasted about five seconds. 

"Sure!" They said simultaneously. 

Tyler just shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You guys…"

Val and Brooke looked at him curiously, expressions matching perfectly. "What?" They asked together, once again. 

He smiled at the sisters sitting across from him. "Nothing, nothing at all."

* * *

**__**

"So, what will it be?" Tyler asked Val and Brooke, who were sitting on the couch surrounded by pillows, popcorn, and soda. "We've got basically anything," He said, opening the cabinets surrounding the big screen TV. The cabinets were filled with videos and DVDs.

Val raised her eyebrows questioningly, but Brooke shook her head and wrinkled up her nose. Tyler rolled his eyes. More sister talk. He wondered if they were even aware that they weren't talking. If it was just something natural that they had always done or if it was an art, perfected by years of experience. A few shakes of the head and a couple of raised eyebrows later, they turned to him and said with matching grins, "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!"

He smiled and started the search for the long-lost classic. "Gosh, I haven't seen Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in ages."

Brooke and Val looked at each other in wonder. Willie Wonka was a favorite at their house, watched on the first Sunday of each even month. It was a silly little tradition that the sisters cherished. They would set that night aside, make popcorn, and make sure they were stocked up on chocolate, gummy bears, and various other kinds of candy. Then they would pig out and bond oven golden tickets and Oompa Loompas. 

He found the tape buried in the back of the cabinet, put it in the VCR, and came and sat on the couch beside Val. 

They watched the movie contently. Tyler's arm ended up around Val's shoulders, and by the time he had found out that he won the golden ticket, her head was resting on his shoulder. Brooke fell asleep about the time the rude, gum-chewing girl was turned into a giant blueberry, and before they knew it, the credits were rolling. 

Val sat up and stretched. "It's late." She yawned.

They looked over and saw that Brooke was fast asleep on the couch beside them. Tyler gently shook Brooke's shoulders. No response. He shook harder. "Brooke, wake up. The movie's over." She didn't stir. She was breathing deeply and peacefully.

"Just let her sleep, Tyler. It's useless to try to wake her up when she's this asleep." 

He glanced at the clock. "Well, it's eleven o'clock anyway. I'll carry her up to the guest room." He gently picked up the sleeping blonde and began climbing up the stairs.

"I'll clean up in here," Val offered. She picked up the bowls and cups and carried them to the kitchen sink. Just as she finished, Tyler appeared at the top of the winding staircase. Val grinned and laid down on the couch, eyes closed. 

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked with a smile.

"Sleeping," she mumbled.

"Are you planning on spending the night on the couch?"

"Brooke got a free ride." She whined softly, still pretending that she was asleep.

Tyler grinned at her antics. "I'll show you free ride," he said, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. Val squealed. He held her knees securely as she kicked and squirmed. 

"Tyler, what are you doing?" She tried to sound annoyed, but the laughter in her voice gave her away.

"You wanted a ride." He said walking up the stairs. She continued squirming to his pleasure. He loved fooling around with her. She had set herself up for this one.

"Tyler. This isn't exactly what I meant."

Brooke, who had woken up at their laughing, crept in the shadows with her camera poised and ready. She grinned at their antics. She would have laughed out loud if it wouldn't have blown her cover. She pressed the button on her camera, thankful that they were laughing and arguing loud enough to drown out the clicks. She followed them down the hall, grateful that there was more than one guest room, so they wouldn't find her bed empty. 

"Tyler, put me down." Val said once they reached the guest room.

He complied with her request flipping her onto the bed. But he lost his footing when he did so, sending himself toppling down with her. He held his arms out, breaking his fall, so he wouldn't land on top of her. The both had an odd sense of déjà vu for a moment until they realized that they were in a similar position as before, during the cranberry incident. Their eyes locked once again, and Tyler knew he wasn't going to give up this opportunity again. The silence was deafening as they slowly moved closer together. They closed their eyes as their lips got within millimeters of each other's. 

__

Click.

One little sound. One little sound and three millimeters separated them. But that one little noise broke the moment and they moved apart quickly. Their hopes shattered into doubts with that one little click. They turned to the open door to see a flash of blonde hair dart down the hallway. 

Brooke darted into the room she was staying in. She quickly ducked under the covers and slowed her breathing, pretending to be asleep, in case they came in. _They were so close,_ she thought. _I just had to ruin it. Well, they'll end up together. They've come this far, and if they don't do it themselves, I'll give them that little extra push tomorrow. And I know just how to do it…_ With her plan forming in her head she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, the mischievous smile still on her lips.

Tyler stood up and once again, they acted as if nothing had happened. Val crawled under the covers and pulled them up to her chin. "Goodnight, Tyler." 

He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Night, Val. See you in the morning." With that he gently closed the door with a soft click, and she heard his footsteps disappear down the hall. She drifted off to sleep mumbling something about static electricity and platonic kisses. 

* * *

"Can we go in yet?" Caitie asked the next day as she and Jamie circled Tyler's neighborhood for the fourth time. 

"My dear, sweet Caitie," Jamie said in a corny British accent. "We have to make an entrance. It's all about the entrance."

"We have gone way beyond fashionably late." Caitie said impatiently. "Can we go now? The stuffing's getting cold. And this pie really smells." She waved a hand over the offending pie in her lap as if to ward off the smell.

"All right, all right. But remember, pure innocence." He gave her a conspiratorial wink as they pulled up Tyler's driveway. 

She tilted her head slightly to the side and looked at him questioningly with her large, brown eyes. "Why would I need to act innocent. They told us what to bring, right? It's not my fault the overachievers have a warped sense of Thanksgiving tradition." 

"My thespian Caitie. Thinking about a drama major, are we?"

Caitie furrowed her eyebrows, staying perfectly in character. "What ever are you talking about, Jamie?"

* * *

"They're late. Go figure." Hank said, glancing at the clock. 12:23. Punctual Hank had come at exactly noon. 

There was a loud knock at the door followed by the doorbell. And the doorbell, and the doorbell again. 

Val opened the door and saw Caitie and Jamie on the porch, Jamie was leaning against the button for the doorbell and Caitie held a rather odd looking pie. "Jamie, what's with the doorbell? We heard you the first time." 

He shrugged, "Well, it's a big house." 

Val shook her head. "Come on in. Great, you brought the pie," She said trying to be cheerful as the offending smell reached her nose. "But, where's the stuffing?" 

"What do you mean, Val?" Caitie asked in a voice of pure innocence, but leaving enough 'Caitie' to avoid arousing suspicion.

"You guys were supposed to bring stuffing and a pie!" Val said, anxiety beginning to creep into her voice. She was kind of edgy, because she wanted to make the day perfect. 

Caitie's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, gosh, Val! I'm sorry - I thought - well, we must not have been paying attention - but I thought you said bring a, a stuffing pie. Val, I'm sorry. I know how much this means to you. I thought it was weird, but maybe it was some overachiever thing. Val," she finished, lip almost quivering, "I'm soooo sorry." 

Val fought back the tears that stung the back of her eyes. She was determined not to cry. After all, Thanksgiving wasn't about stuffing or pie, it was it was about friendships. "Well, I guess it's the thought that counts-"

"Which is why," Jaime interrupted her before she broke down, "there is a nice, hot pan of stuffing and a perfectly good apple pie in the back of Caitie's car."

Val looked confused for about three seconds until what they had said sunk in. Then she wasn't sure whether to hug them for not ruining her Thanksgiving or to punch them for pretending to. She did both. 

Val reached over the pie that Caitie was still holding and gave her a hug. Then she turned to Jamie and punched him on the shoulder. Caitie stood there snickering. 

"Ow! How come Caitie got a hug, and I get a bruise?" Jamie asked, rubbing his arm. 

"Because I have a feeling you were the mastermind behind this whole thing." She smiled smugly as Jamie and Caitie exchanged a look that told her she was right. 

Hank and Tyler looked on, amused. "Well, guys, go get the real food and bring it into the kitchen. We're just waiting on the rest of the food to warm up." You guys can hang out in the den. I think Brooke's watching the Matrix." At the word Matrix, Jamie perked up, grabbed the stuffing out of the car and practically skipped to the den, following the sounds emitted from the big-screen TV and surround sound speakers.

* * *

"Hey Val! Is everything set? Want any help?" Tyler called from his seat at the dining room table. There was the sound of a pot lid crashing to the floor, followed with Val's muffled curse before she replied,

"I'm bringing the last out to the table Tyler! Just get yourselves settled!" 

"Are you destroying my kitchen?" he called suspiciously. 

"Shut up." She said, walking into the room as she balanced the cranberry sauce, Hank's mashed potatoes, and the gravy boat in her arms. "Ummm, a little help here?" she asked. The mashed potato bowl slipped out of her grasp, but was saved from a shattering end by Tyler's leaning over and catching it quickly.

"Watch it Val!" Hank cried. Val was about to thank him for his concern but stopped as he continued "I worked all day on those darn potatoes!" She rolled her eyes and set the cranberry sauce and gravy down on the already overloaded table. 

"Caitie! Jamie! Brooke! Come on and sit down!" she yelled to her friends, who had gone to wait in the den. They didn't respond, and Val figured that they hadn't even heard her call. She marched into the TV room, and found them gathered around the television, busy watching the last few minutes of the matrix. Grabbing the remote, she turned off the TV with a click.

"What's your damage?! That's my favorite movie!" Jamie exclaimed angrily, standing up to snatch the remote from her hand. She pulled it out of his grasp again and bolted out of the den, with Jamie following closely at her heels. "GIMMIE- THE- REMOTE!" he panted, making one final dive for it as she rounded the table. Val shrieked and attempted to duck behind Tyler's chair for protection, but her legs got tangled in the chair legs, sending herself, the chair, not to mention Tyler, toppling to the ground.

"OW!" he cried, landing on the rug with a thud. Val landed on top of him, which was lucky for her, as he cushioned her fall, but it knocked the wind out of him. It took Tyler a couple of moments to catch his breath. "Will you two KNOCK IT OFF?!" he gasped, still lying flat on his back. 

"Tyler, I'm- I'm sooo sorry." Val said, picking herself up off of him so that he could stand. She bent down and tried to pull him back to his feet, but was so overcome by her giggles that she let go, causing him to fall back down to the floor.

"Can we do this with a little less bodily injury?" he groaned, rubbing a bump that formed on the back of his head from its collision with the floor. Jamie peered over the edge of the table.

"What's the matter, didn't eat your Wheaties this morning?" he teased. Tyler glared at him as he stood and picked up his fallen chair.

"Tyler, I'm really, really sorry." Val said meekly, hoping that he wasn't really angry with her. 

"I'm fine Val, no harm done." He replied, smiling to show her that he wasn't mad at all. Caitie and Brooke strolled into the dining room a couple of moments later and took their seats, which had been specifically assigned by Val, though the reason she'd bothered to assign seats when only 6 people were eating was beyond them. As soon as they sat down, the guys immediately made a grab for Val's slightly singed turkey, which erupted into a furious fight over the drumsticks.

"ALL RIGHT ALREADY! Chill out!" Val cried, moving the bird out of their reach. "We are NOT going to eat yet!" Jamie's mouth hung open

"You stop my movie to bring me to the table to eat, and now we're NOT eating? Not to be redundant, but, WHAT IS YOUR DAMAGE WOMAN!?" he complained, only half kidding. Val ignored his comment.

"Well, this might sound really dumb to you guys, but, this is the only Thanksgiving that I'm having this year, and if I seem kinda high strung, it's just cause I want things to go right." She explained, her voice considerably softer. Tyler nodded in agreement, sending Hank and Jamie looks that said "Just agree with her." She cleared her throat and continued. "Well, my family does this thing every Thanksgiving, to remember the meaning of the holiday we go around the table and each of us names one or two things that we're thankful for in our lives. It won't take long, and I really feel weird eating thanksgiving dinner without doing it." Brooke nodded in agreement

"Come on guys, it'll only take five minutes at the most, and it'll put us in a good frame of mind for dinner." She said, standing up. The others quickly consented and followed her lead.

"Who wants to start? We don't have to be too serious you know." Val asked, taking Brooke's hand in her own. She paused for a few seconds before sliding her other hand into Tyler's.

"I will." Tyler offered. He paused for a few moments to think. "Well, I'm thankful for my friends, you guys have always been there for me, and I just want to let you know that I appreciate it." He stopped for another few seconds before adding, "Oh, and I'm also really thankful that Val and I didn't burn the house down while trying to cook this -oof- lovely meal." He finished quickly. The "oof" had been caused by Val's playfully elbowing him in the side for the comment on her cooking skills. Hank decided to go next.

"Well, I'm thankful for you guys, of course, and, Val's culinary ability aside, I'm also thankful for the great dinner looking dinner that we've got ourselves here. Though I don't know what to make of Caitie and Jamie's ummm, latest bout of creativity." He announced, sending a sideways glance to the concoction that lay at the far end of the table. 

"Stuffing pie." Caitie corrected, "And I am thankful that I could spend Thanksgiving with Jamie and Val, my best friends." She declared, throwing the others off with her uncharacteristic sweetness. "Oh, and the rest of you aren't bad either." She added as an after thought.

"Thanks Caitie, that made me feel really good." Tyler muttered dryly. Val however, was beaming.

"That's so sweet!" she exclaimed, near tears. Caitie matched her best friend's smile with one of her own. "Yeah, you may be an annoyingly perfect overachiever, but for some reason, I don't seem to work right without you!" she laughed.

"Ah hem, it's my turn." Jamie cut in, interrupting their moment. "I'm thankful for my motorcycle, ummm, expired IV bags, and, oh yeah, my friends." He said casually. Caitie "discreetly" stomped on his foot with the heel of her boot, and he yelped in pain. "What? I said I was thankful for my friends." He griped. She shot him a dark glare. "Oh, and I'm especially thankful for my abusive friend Caitie." He said, wincing at the pain in his now throbbing foot.

"You seem to have hurt your foot." She said innocently, which made everyone chuckle, except for Jamie of course.

"Glad to see that my compound fracture spreads holiday cheer." He muttered bitterly.

"What's the matter, didn't eat your Wheaties this morning?" Tyler repeated with a satisfied grin.

"It's Brooke's turn." Jamie grumbled, bending down to examine his sore foot.

"I'm thankful that I have such a great sister." Brooke said without even having to think. She then put her plan from the night before into action, "and I do hope that this sister realizes that when a friend gives her a Thanksgiving dinner after finding out that she wasn't going to have one, that this "friend" deserves to be a little more than a friend." She continued with an evil gleam in her eye. Val turned two shades redder than the cranberry sauce.

"Shut up Brooke." She hissed, trying vainly to hide the obvious blush. Jamie, Caitie and Hank snickered, but Tyler remained oddly silent, instead shooting them silencing glares. 

"Your turn Val!" Brooke said cheerfully, ignoring the looks of death that her sister was sending her way. Val took a second to regain her composure.

"I'm thankful for all of you guys, yes Brooke, for some reason, I'm even thankful for you too." She laughed as Brooke stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at her. "And, I-I'm thankful for you Tyler," there was silence for a moment before she cleared her throat and spoke again, "Because, giving me and Brooke a Thanksgiving dinner like this and cooking with me and just being a great guy, you've just been incredibly sweet, and I feel really lucky to know you." She finished quietly, shooting him a happy smile and giving his hand a gentle squeeze; both of which, he returned.

"Are you guys gonna admit that you like each other sometime before the potatoes get cold?" Jamie joked, taking his seat. The two blondes didn't respond, instead they sat down in silence, both very aware that something major had just happened between them, but at the same time unable to figure out what they were going to do next.

* * *

Somos Pollo's A/N: Well, guys? What do you think? Too sappy? Have we used up all the sap in Vermont? Is there any left to make syrup? NOOOOO! I love Vermont Maple Syrup! Anyway, we tried to balance sap with humor, so there's still hope for my pancakes. Phew. I got worried there for a minute. You can't eat these asylum pancakes without Vermont Maple Syrup! Anyhoo, I hope you liked it. If you did, review, or you may never see the next part. I'm serious. I know what happens next, cause guess what, it's already written!!! Mwahaha. I know I'm being mean and evil, but I don't have much of a choice. If we don't get reviews, then we figure nobody likes it, so we just won't post the next part. (Well, we probably will, cause I'm not really THAT evil, but, still. Reviews are nice - so be nice). Anyway, feedback, ideas, and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Hope to hear from you soon! 


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